Product Description

In Titan Race, each player controls a titan, with everyone racing on a torus, shooting at one another, and getting shot at in return.

To move, you roll dice, then choose the movement showing on one of the dice; if that die matches the color of your jockey, then you get to use your special power. Effect cards allow for protection abilities and other trickery.

NOTE: This review was first published on the Opinionated Gamers website.

Seems that every culture loves to race, apparently including fantasy cultures such as Titans.
In Titan Race, players attempt to maneuver their rider and his “titanic mount” through
perilous terrain and be the first to cross the finish line. Of course, this is a fantasy world, so
those frightening Titans have magical skills and abilities that will make the journey
extremely hazardous. Titans are not known for their kindness or benevolence.

The game includes three small, double-sided boards, each with a different terrain and
unique obstacles and perils. Unfortunately, in an effort to be compact, the result is boards
that are dense, cluttered and difficult to decipher. Larger boards would have provided
more room, making the artwork and details easier to see and more pleasing to the eye. As
is, it is often difficult to see the pathway lines that regulate movement.

Each player receives a unique Titan card, matching board and highly detailed miniature.
The miniatures are impressive, but apparently fragile. There are some thinly attached
appendages which can easily break. My set arrived with a wing broken off one figure.
Each Titan has a unique power as described on the card. The player board is used to track
the Titan’s health and record which lap he is currently running. A small deck of action cards
and six dice with unique symbols to regulate movement complete the components.

The race is conducted over three laps. Titans begin at the bottom of the board and will
move from point-to-point along pathways. Each point has six pathways emanating from it,
some of which, as mentioned above, are obscured by board graphics. The board wraps on
all four sides (forming a sort of globe), so traveling off the eastside will move the Titan to
the west side of the board, one row up. Exiting the north side of the board moves the Titan
back to the south side and completes one lap. This can initially be a tad bit confusing, but
it becomes clear after a few turns.

The start player (determined randomly) rolls a number of dice equal to the number of
Titans in the race. The player chooses one of the dice and moves as indicated by the
symbol(s) on the die chosen. In turn order, each remaining Titan does the same, choosing
one of the remaining dice. This process is repeated for subsequent turns, with the start
player rotating to the left and the dice being rerolled.

There are six different symbols that allow a variety of movement options, including
combinations of moving straight and/or diagonally, usually one-to-three spaces. Some
faces also allow the player to lay a trap before or after moving, or inflict damage on an
adjacent opponent. Choosing the preferred die is usually a simple matter of surveying the
board and choosing the die that results in the best and safest move...or, in some cases,
does the most damage to opponents!

If a Titan enters a space occupied by an opponent, that Titan is pushed, which can cause a
chain-reaction. Each pushed Titan suffers damage, but this pushing can be even more
perilous due to the presence of traps and board perils. If a Titan enters a space with a trap,
he incurs a point of damage, and the trap is removed. Damage can also be inflicted by
opposing Titans. A Titan has a limited amount of health, and if that ever decreases to zero,
he is knocked unconscious and loses a turn. Damage tends to be suffered with great
frequency, so unconsciousness is a regular occurrence.

Each of the six boards has inherent perils and features. Most of these are designed to
cause damage to the Titans, so players will usually do their best to avoid those spaces. As
mentioned, each board is graphically unique, but the perils are generally similar in effect.

As mentioned, each Titan has a special ability, which may include inflicting damage, laying
traps, pushing an opponent’s Titan, etc. These abilities can generally be used before or
after moving. All can be useful, but some appear more powerful than others.

The game continues in this fashion until a Titan completes three laps, earning the victory.
This typically takes about 30 minutes, which is just fine. Any longer and it would outstay its
welcome.

Since three laps are run, a breakaway leader will usually be forced to cross the paths of
those trailing. This gives those Titans the opportunity to stall the leader by blocking his
path with traps or inflicting damage, hopefully rendering him unconscious, thereby forcing
him to lose a turn. Thus, the race does have a nice little "catch the leader" feature, keeping
most races competitive.

Titan Race is fast fun with a healthy dose of “take that!” The goal of the game is to win the
race, but to do this generally requires inflicting as much damage on one’s opponents as
possible. There aren’t any deep strategies or planning here. Rather, it is a matter of
grabbing the best die available, attempt to get ahead of one’s opponents and avoid traps
and damage. Bashing opponents’ Titans while you are at it is also a good idea! There isn’t
much here beyond that, but sometimes one is in the mood for such frantic, silly fun.

Other Resources for TITAN RACE:

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